Not a Bad Sweet
by Yokomi
Summary: Anko absolutely hated dango. It was the worst sweet one could ever come across. However, now she adores it. Just why did she change so much?


**Author's Notes: I'm really sorry for not updating anything in a while! Even more so since I spent my time writing this one-shot instead of writing the next chapter of my other fics XD However, I promise that I am working on those others (specifically my Naruto fics), but I am now facing a case of Writer's Block. I'll try to get out a new chapter for 'Game Over' and 'Choices and Consequences' soon, as I've already started with them. Enough babbling, don't you think? Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!**

 **Not a Bad Sweet**

She watched her surroundings carefully, nothing moved without her noticing. Her narrowed eyes took in the lamp-lit street in front of her. _Where are they?_ She didn't have to wait long as not soon after, she could see her first target's midnight blue hair.

Her amber eyes shone, her lips twisted into a mischievous smile. She would get them this time, no doubt about it. She slowly slid the door closed almost immediately grabbing the bucket she had prepared before. _Wait for it, wait for it…_ she bit her lip as she concentrated on keeping her snickers at bay, this was one mission she could not fail. The door was opening and from her place she could see two silhouettes standing in the doorway. _Now!_ She gripped the bucket of paint, throwing its contents at her targets. Or that was what was supposed to happen. However, her four-year-old body couldn't quite handle the weight of the bucket. Instead of getting her targets by surprise with the paint, little Anko covered herself with the neon green paint from head to toe. _Mission failed…_ she thought to herself, a huge pout settling upon her features.

"Nice try, Anko-chan," one of them said as he patted her now green hair, "You'll get us next time, I'm sure!"

"Otou-san," her voice came out whinier than she thought it would, "You say that every time! And I still haven't got you, not even once!" she said as she puffed and slammed her foot on the ground. Temaki and Fuki Mitarashi gave one another a knowing glance; if they didn't react fast, they were in for one of their lovely (yet highly demanding) daughter's tantrums.

"Oh, Mitarashi-san, you're back!" the babysitter (who Anko thought was unnecessary since she was four years old now and could fully take care of herself for a few days), "I'll be taking my leave now if that's alright," the woman smiled at them as she exited the house not even giving Anko's paint-covered body a second glance. After all, such a thing was normal for Mitarashi Anko. Her parents thanked her and grinned back before closing the door.

"Well… how about we make it up for you?" Fuki asked gently while removing some of the paint from the girl's face. The pout didn't leave the little girl's face, if anything it only grew larger.

"Dango sounds good to me," Temaki suggested excitedly. She sighed audibly, he always got overly-enthusiastic whenever dango was mentioned and as she glanced at her mother to see her eyes change from normal to heart-shaped she thought the kunoichi wasn't much better off either.

"Let's get cleaned up and head off then!" the kunoichi exclaimed, twirling her in a wide circle, all the while sending paint flying everywhere, before heading to the bathroom with her daughter's smaller frame securely in her arms. Her mother made quick work of helping her get all the paint off, and Anko soon found herself sitting in the living room as she waited for her parents.

They were supposed to be going out to do something Anko wanted or even _liked_ to do. However, they were going to eat _dango_ of all things. Anko absolutely _hated_ dango. She didn't complain though; she never did. Although dango was her least favorite sweet, even though she felt her stomach churn every time she so much as caught a whiff of its smell, she never, _ever_ in her four short years told her parents that. Each time they went on another mission, Anko would always wait for them patiently. Every time, she would plan another prank (never mind the fact that none have worked so far; she had a feeling the next one would though). They went through the same scenario each time and would go out for the disgusting thing everyone called 'dango'.

"Ready to go, my sweet little dango-chan?" Anko flashed her father a wide grin, inwardly cringing at the nickname.

"You bet! I'll race you there!" she was out of the door before she could hear him accept the challenge. It gave her a head start, no matter how small it was. However, the little girl knew she would win even if he started running before she did. She knew her father would always let her win; she was just starting academy after all, and he was a full-fledged Jonin. Nevertheless, knowing that little fact never stopped her from boasting.

"You're so slow, Otou-san!" she called while her father jogged up to a stop next to her.

"I'm not slow, you're just too fast!" he said as he ruffled her hair. The youngest Mitarashi glared at him from under her messed up bangs but all she got in response was a hearty chuckle. Anko didn't have time to express her annoyance before her mother came to join them outside the dango shop. The woman fixed up her hair and the family entered the small shop.

"Welcome! Ah, Mitarashi-san! Same order as always, I presume?" Her parents nodded as one as the trio sat themselves at their table-at the very back and to the right of the small place. The same scene met Anko's eyes as she studied her surroundings. The chairs and tables, once made of strong wood, had cracks spiraling along them after so many years of use. The color of the walls, which used to be a jolly yellow, was now faded adorning a few paintings here and there. The paintings themselves had frames which looked too old and the pictures always made Anko feel miserable. Her parents, however, found one particular painting mesmerizing. She scowled as her eyes found the painting. She studied the flower field, the blue sky, the faraway windmill as she always did, hoping that this time she would see what her parents saw in the boring painting.

She was brought out of her thoughts when a plate of dango was placed before them. Instantly, her parents' chattering closed to an end and a stick materialized in each of their hands.

"Thank you for the food!" The two Jonins gobbled down their snacks, Anko never seized to be amazed at the sheer speed the sticks were disappearing at. She slowly ate her share while her parents finished one, two, three plates.

"That was good!" Temaki exclaimed as he patted his stomach. His wife chuckled, silently agreeing. Anko only nodded and gave them the brightest grin she could muster. After they had paid for their meal, the family exited the shop, leaving the little, depressed shop behind. Anko put her hands out for her father; it wouldn't feel like their usual reunion if she didn't get her piggy back ride home.

"Why don't I carry you this time, Anko? Otou-san hurt his shoulder pretty bad on the mission," her mother said as she closed her eyes in a smile. Anko couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged at that, she always enjoyed her father's piggy back ride since she felt that she could fly each time he put her on his broad shoulders. However, if her father was indeed injured, she didn't want to cause any trouble. She smiled and put her hands out for her mother instead.

"Nonsense!" her father exclaimed as he grabbed her and put her over his shoulders, "I may be a bit hurt, but I'm a big and bad Jonin! I can't be brought down that easily!" he said, and although Anko couldn't see it, she was sure he had a cocky smirk plastered on his face. Her mother laughed and her own childish one soon joined in.

"What are you laughing at?" her father asked, his tone suggesting that he was confused, "I really mean it! Nothing can bring me down!" And even though she rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, Anko believed his every word.

Maybe this was why she put up with the disgusting dango each time. It was the only time they could be a real family. Tomorrow, her parents were most likely going to take another mission, they had tried to explain why they had to take so many before but Anko didn't quite understand what they said. All she did get was that her Okaa-san and Otou-san had to go on dangerous missions and get money to pay off their debts. She didn't understand what a debt was, but they had insisted that it was something they couldn't just forget about.

The trip back home passed uneventfully, yet Anko was content with her parents being around her for such a long time. To her, neither words nor actions were needed. She changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth and got into her bed. She counted the glowing stars on her ceiling as she waited for her parents to kiss her good night and maybe tell her a bedtime story if they were feeling up for it. _One, two, three, four, five, six…_ she inwardly counted for the fifth time. After she had finished counting another five times, she sighed. Looks like they were more tired than she thought they were and had already gone to bed. Repeating that inside her head, she rolled to her side and shut her eyes. She heard the door creak open, but she didn't turn around.

"I can't believe we forgot…" she heard a voice that sounded like her mother mutter.

"We didn't forget, we were just too tired to remember," Her father mumbled back. She heard them whisper amongst themselves and even as she strained her ears to make out a word, she couldn't comprehend anything.

"Sorry, Anko-chan," she heard her mother whisper in her ear before she felt someone kiss her forehead. Anko's tears didn't fall until after she heard the door slide closed. She tried to contain her sobs; both her parents were trained shinobi, after all. She hated this _debt_ thing, she decided. All it did was take her parents away from her to the point that even when they were here, they were too tired to read her a bedtime story or watch her till she slept… prevented them from being a normal, loving family. After a while, her tears stopped and her eyes closed as she surrendered to blissful sleep.

-oOo-

The smell of warm pancakes tickled her nose. She blinked a few times and stretched. She was already salivating by the time she finished washing her face. Fuki's pancakes were well-known for their exquisite aroma and their delicious flavor. Her feet banged down the stairs in an excited shuffle.

"Morning!" she greeted as she seated herself at her place on the table.

"Good morning, my sweet little dango-chan," Anko rolled her eyes provoking a chuckle.

"Otou-san, I'm not four anymore!" she exclaimed, "At least drop the 'little',"

"You'll always be our sweet _little_ dango-chan, Anko!" Fuki emphasized as she gave out the pancakes without missing a beat.

"But I'm eleven now!" she protested.

"Almost," they said in unison.

"My birthday's only four days away," she muttered under her breath, "You're going to stay here until then, right?" she asked, instantly brightening up. Her parents shared a glance; instantly, she felt her heart drop.

"Anko…" his tone was serious; Anko braced herself to get hit by the bad news, "We have another mission. You know about the debt, you know how much we've been working to pay it off, and this mission just might be the end of it,"

"But you promised," Anko complained weakly.

"This mission has high pay and it's relatively easy," her mother said, ignoring her, "Once we're done with it, all our debts will be paid off. We can stay more after that. No, we'll almost always be around then!"

"Promise?" Her parents gave her identical smiles as they promised.

"What did we ever do to have such an understanding daughter?" Temaki turned around the table and hugged her, Fuki soon joined in. She hugged them back, biting back her anger and a snappy remark. Over the years, she had gotten used to things like this happening. But _getting used to_ and actually _accepting them_ were two entirely different things.

"We'll try to get home before your birthday," Fuki said as she kissed the top of her head, "We're going to Wave Country for this mission. How about we bring your present from there?"

"I heard they have awesome necklaces," Anko said while nodding.

"You want a necklace? I thought you didn't like that type of stuff," her father teased, but Anko only shrugged in response.

"We'll find you one you will absolutely love," her mother promised with a soft smile. It wasn't too long before they had to go, leaving Anko in their small house. Now that she was a Genin, her parents decided that she was old enough to look after herself. She distinctly remembered that she was supposed to meet her new team in an hour. With a grin, Anko went up the stairs to get ready.

-oOo-

A few hours later, Anko groaned out loud as she plumped down on the old couch at home. Her team was a complete joke. She was put on a team with the loudest, stupidest boys in class. It didn't help things that they had an unspoken rivalry going on. Even now Anko could still feel her ears ringing from the sheer idiocy of their arguments (seriously who, in their right minds, would care which fruit would win if they somehow came to life?)

Despite her teammates' infuriating childishness, she found that her new sensei was okay, if not a hundred percent cool. She heard that he was one of the Three Legendary Sannin, which meant that he would have more than a few tricks to teach her. Some kids who had graduated told her that he was creepy, yet she couldn't help but disagree with them. Maybe he was a little scary, but he was pretty nice and had a certain mysterious aura to him.

Suddenly remembering their assignment for the day, Anko stood up with renewed vigor. Orochimaru-sensei told them to practice shuriken throwing when they got home. She would train for hours to get it right. After all, it wouldn't do to make a bad impression on their first day of training.

-oOo-

Fuki grit her teeth against the pain coursing through her torso. The mission, formerly thought to be simple, didn't take long to spiral into utter chaos. As she thought back, there was really no way they could have succeeded in the mission. They would have needed more than five people, for starters. The way she saw it, there wasn't even a one percent chance for any of them to survive. If something didn't change soon, they would most likely perish. She had lost the enemy nin a while back so she was relatively safe… for now. A light caught her eye from between the forest's thick trees. With her mouth set in a tight line, she ran towards it.

"We messed up pretty bad didn't we?" her husband's familiar voice questioned. She shook her head.

"We didn't mess up, we just weren't good enough to succeed," They both tensed when they heard something move. Not a second later, they were hopping from branch to branch again, trying to ignore their respective injuries. They were too far away from Konoha. Too far away from safety. They, as well as the three others, were well in enemy territory. They were supposed to steal an important document. They had gained possession of the scroll. But… no sooner had that happened had enemy shinobi dropped onto them from all sides like flies. None of the team members had time to think before they were separated.

"You have the scroll, right Temaki?" her husband nodded before handing over the little thing they were risking their lives for.

"Fuki… you should go," the shinobi stated unemotionally, digging for something in his pouch.

"You're kidding right?" the kunoichi made sure to keep her voice low as she whispered harshly, "There's no way I'm leaving you behind!"

"Be logical," the man said through gritted teeth as he sighed in frustration, "There's no way we would be able to escape if the enemy nin come… and they are coming-soon," he finally got something out of her pouch, "and you know it," he forced the small envelope into his hand, "I have an obligation to fulfill, Fuki… and that is protecting you. I'll hold them back, you leave, now!" Temaki nodded in what she thought was encouragement, "You need to be there for Anko," he said with a smile, "Tell her I said happy birthday… and tell her that I'm sorry," Fuki shook her head almost unbelievingly.

"It's not over yet, Temaki," she said, "We can still try to outrun them. Have you really given up already?" she prompted, she didn't give him a chance to respond before she continued, "We're going to tell her together… there's no way we're dying here! For Anko!"

-oOo-

Anko's amber eyes blinked open against the warm sunlight. There was no tasty smell in the air nor was there any sound coming from downstairs. She had expected her parents to be back today. They had promised to come back before her birthday. She fought the urge to grin stupidly. After all, tomorrow was the big day! She skipped down the stairs as she imagined what kind of necklace her parents would bring her with them. She hoped it would be something cool. This time the grin forced itself on Anko's face full-force. After training with her team that day, she was positive her parents would have made it home.

She absolutely couldn't wait.

-oOo-

Their other teammates never made it back. The married couple had waited for the designated time, but none came. Thus, they had started moving, running back to Konoha. Things were starting to look good, they thought. They were going to return home, they were sure.

How wrong they were.

It only took a second for them to realize that they were surrounded. They didn't know how that happened without them noticing… but that didn't matter right now. Not when Temaki's neck just barely escaped a cut and Fuki's heart barely dodged a kunai. They were surrounded with no way to escape while being heavily outnumbered. Not a good combination no matter how they looked at it. Everything kept spiraling from bad to worst and the two Mitarashis were helpless against the never-ending nightmare.

Temaki saw his teammate perform the summoning technique in his peripheral vision. He saw her cram two important pieces of paper into the small pouch the summon carried. The enemy ninja couldn't stop the summon from fleeing the scene, it was too fast. The two Leaf nin rarely evaded any of their adversaries' attacks now. Their moves were getting more sluggish while their opponents' became faster, more aggressive.

Temaki felt guilt course through his veins at the prospect that he just wasn't strong enough, wasn't good enough to keep the woman he married safe, couldn't keep her alive, not even when he threw his life away for her.

Fuki's heart pumped remorse with each beat that she just wasn't good enough to stop the barrage of punches and kicks from breaking her body, couldn't defend herself, constantly relied on her husband for protection.

However, both parents had one shared regret; they were never going to see their daughter's face when she sees the necklace they bought her. They were never going to watch their little girl grow up anymore.

And… The last thing they ever gave her was a letter, a necklace… and their lives.

-oOo-

"Otou-san! Okaa-san! I'm home!" she called, her voice rebounding off the empty walls, "Huh… they're not here yet," A frown creased Anko's face as she pulled off her sandals and entered their small house. There were so many things she wanted to tell her parents. She yearned to rant about Takashi and Po and their idiotic rivalry. She wanted to talk about how cool Orochimaru-sensei was and how much he had praised her for her obvious hard work. However, none of that was possible.

She shook her head. It was only six thirty in the evening. She could work on her plan for tomorrow and maybe, just maybe, this time it would work.

She told herself they would be back by morning before she trudged up the stairs at a little half past nine.

She could talk to them to her heart's content tomorrow. She smiled softly as she saw her mother kiss her on the forehead and her father mess up her hair like they always did before she went to bed in her mind's eye. Tomorrow, she decided, would be the best day ever. It would be the day she turned eleven. It would be the day the debt came to an end. It would be the day her parents could start spending more time with her. Anko didn't expect them to be able to be around full-time. After all, there was a war going on and every shinobi mattered. Nonetheless, she looked forward to tomorrow.

The day all of their lives would definitely change.

-oOo-

October twenty-fourth was quite an unusual day, the Hokage decided. He didn't have that much paperwork to do nor did he have a busy schedule. A small fox, with a small pouch strapped onto it, tapped his window impatiently. A quite peculiar pick for a summon, if he may say so himself, which helped him recognize it to be one Mitarashi Fuki's summon.

"Ah, thank you for bringing it," the Third Hokage said good-naturedly while acquiring the scroll from the pouch. He raised an eyebrow when instead of one scroll there were two. He read both scrolls, his features grim. He ordered one of his ever-present ANBU to go through standard procedure as he handed over the paper stolen from their enemy. He didn't waste any time before setting off towards the Mitarashis' household. He didn't want to deliver the horrible news to their poor girl. However, it was his duty as Hokage, no matter how much it pained him to do so.

Besides, young Mitarashi Anko was a Genin now. A kunoichi in her own right. And all ninja… deal with it.

-oOo-

Anko sighed loudly as she waited for her parents. Contrary to popular belief, she didn't mind waiting all that much… when it was for something worthy. Waiting for her parents was absolutely one of those few things she dubbed as worthy, especially since it included an attempt at a prank (without any punishment). Her newest idea was to dump a whole bucket of cold water on them once they entered the house. The best part was that she didn't have to do anything. Once her parents open the door, ice cold water would cascade upon them like a waterfall. It was ingenious and Anko found herself wondering why she had never thought of it before. She grinned devilishly. She couldn't wait to hear their stupefied, shocked shrieks once her plan works for the first time. Orochimaru-sensei had cancelled training for the day because he was called up to the frontlines sometime in the early hours of the day. Therefore, the violet-haired Genin was free to sit around and wait all day if she wanted to.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Anko's brows furrowed. Her parents never knocked before opening the door. She froze. Did they somehow discover her scheme?

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Anko hurried towards the door, her footfalls sounded heavy as she finally came to stop in front of the door.

"Who is it?" she called as she looked through the peephole. She wouldn't remove the bucket until she made sure that the person on the other side wasn't any of her parents. Muffling a gasp, Anko brought a chair close to the door and removed the bucket, almost toppling over twice. She put the bucket aside and opened the door as wide as it could go.

"Hello, Anko-chan," the Sarutobi said as he smiled around his pipe.

"Hokage-sama," Anko greeted politely, bowing as she went.

"May I come in?" Anko nodded dumbly and led him inside the house. They both sat down, opposite of each other.

"What are you here for?" the Mitarashi sputtered for a few seconds before clearing her throat and rephrasing her sentence, "I mean… to what do I owe this pleasure?" Hiruzen chuckled softly before his face took on a serious tint.

"I came here, today, to talk about your parents, Anko-chan," The little girl swallowed, her heart beat a little faster. The Hokage couldn't have brought bad news, right? They were just injured on the mission and the Hokage was kind enough to let her know. She nodded as if she could convince herself.

"My parents?" she questioned although her brain screamed at her not to ask, "They're okay, right?"

"They brought you a gift," the Third said as he produced an envelope from his robes. Anko approached the older ninja with narrowed eyes; he was clearly avoiding the question. This revelation only served to further spread the feeling of uneasiness through her body that her heart was clasped in a vice-like grip. She received the envelope with shaking hands as she asked.

"When are they coming back?" Sarutobi seemed to hesitate before he motioned for her to take a seat next to him. The Mitarashi complied without question for once, putting down the envelope on the old table in front of her.

"I am afraid… that I'm not here to deliver any good news, Anko-chan," The girl's body seemed to freeze over, "The mission was harder than expected," _Please tell me they were only injured,_ "Sadly, your parents weren't able to handle it," _Stop, I don't want to hear anymore, "_ I'm sorry to inform you that Mitarashi Temaki and Mitarashi Fuki are-"

"Stop!" Anko all but shouted in the leader's face after having finally found her voice, "Just… stop…" she didn't care how cracked and broken her voice sounded nor did she care that the Hokage, the most powerful shinobi in the Leaf Village, was watching her as her tears streamed down her face.

"I am sorry, Anko-chan," the Third sounded truthfully regretful as he patted her back, but Anko didn't want to hear it. It was his fault. He should have known that this mission was too hard for her parents. He should have assigned someone else to do it. However, now, because of his mistake, her parents were _never_ coming back.

With a cry fueled with grief, Anko sped out of the tiny house that used to be _their_ home, slamming the door as she went. She pushed through the crowd of people in the market as she ran, uncaring for where her legs carried her as long as it was somewhere that would take her away from everyone else. Once she reached her sanctuary, her knees seemed to buckle underneath her. Her throat closed up, her vision blurred and all that she could do was rack up loud sobs. The wild nature around her didn't share her misery; the animals were still scurrying around, the birds were still chirping and the trees were still a vibrant green.

She couldn't believe that the day she became eleven was the same day she became an orphan. She wanted nothing more than to forget that this day had ever happened. And maybe it never had. Perhaps she just fell asleep as she was waiting and this was just one horrible nightmare.

With a nod, Anko screwed her eyes shut. She thought that the next she opened her eyes, she'd wake up back at their house, her parents would be back and they would all go out for dango again. With that thought in mind, the blissful clutches of sleep finally took hold of the young girl.

-oOo-

 _Please, please, please, please…_ the youngest Mitarashi's eyes slowly blinked open, _just let my life go back to normal._ Her vision finally cleared and she rubbed away the last bits of sleep. She almost whooped in joy. She was back in their home. She was back in her bed. She was still waiting for her parents to come back. _The whole thing was a nightmare after all!_

She quickly leapt out of bed with a wide grin almost splitting her face in half. _They should be back by now!_ She paused on the last step of stairs. She could see the living room from where she stood. She could see the table. She could see the cursed envelope sitting _right there_. She approached the offending object as if in a trance. _But I-I thought…_ New tears sprang to her eyes but she stubbornly blinked them away. It didn't do her any good as with every rub at her eyes, the salty tears seemed to only increase. She reached out to grab the envelope but her shaking hands couldn't quite finish the job. She settled for snatching the paper beside it.

 _Mitarashi Anko-chan,_

 _As your parents' latest mission was a success, your family's debt has been finally paid off. Come see me when you want to receive the rest of the money. The funeral has already been held earlier today, I'm sorry you missed it. Perhaps you'd like to talk to someone. If you do feel the need, please do not hesitate to seek me out._

 _My sincere apologies,_

 _Sarutobi Hiruzen,_

And just like that, Anko's anger at the Hokage dissipated. How could she hate a man who obviously cared for her? Was even willing to listen to her?

She shook her head as if to clear it. She had to read the other letter now. _No more running away,_ she thought determinedly, _what happened has happened.._. _It's time to grow up and face the truth!_ Her hands were steady as she reached for the envelope. She opened the small packet slowly and a black, snake fang emblem met her gaze. She fell instantly in love with the small thing with its stretchy cord. She immediately put it on and vowed that she would never lose it. The letter came next. Taking a deep breath, she carefully pulled it out.

 _Our dear little dango-chan,_

The name that used to make her squirm made her feel oddly warm inside, even provoked a tiny smile to grace her lips. They couldn't drop the 'little' though, could they?

 _The fact that you're reading this means we are unable to tell you this personally… but no matter… we'll always look out for you, no matter what, okay?_

 _So you're finally eleven, huh? It's about time! Although you were so cute when you were a kid, we really couldn't wait for you to grow up and become the greatest kunoichi you could be!_

 _Hope you like your new team. Are your teammates alright? Is your sensei as cool as you wanted him to be? Try to get to know them; don't give up on them just yet. Sometimes, other people can be idiots, but you can at least give them a chance, right?_

 _We wish we could be there with you today. We really wanted to know what your latest prank was. We love them, you know? It gave us something to look forward to when we got home. You gave us something to look forward to when we got home. You're the greatest gift we have ever been given, Anko. We wish we could watch you grow up into the amazing person we know you're going to be. But just because we're not there doesn't mean you could slack off, got it?_

 _We're rooting for you, always have been and always will be!_

 _We love you!_

 _Otou-san and Okaa-san,_

 _P.S: Don't forget to brush your teeth every night!_

Anko was crying again by the time she finished reading her parents' last words to her. She exited the house, letter still in hand as she walked an unfamiliar path. The road soon led her to the Memorial Stone. She saw other people do this sometimes, even her mother and father used to do this. She stood in front of the Stone where two familiar, new names were carved.

"Hi, Okaa-san, Otou-san," Anko greeted, her hands in her pockets, "I'm sorry I missed your funeral," she chuckled humorlessly, "I didn't bring any flowers, either," her eyes gained a determined gleam, "I promise that I'm going to work hard to become even greater than you thought I'd be. I'll work with my team although I got stuck with those two idiot boys. My sensei is way cooler than I thought he'd be," she paused for a second, "I really wish you're here, too. My latest idea would have definitely worked, you know," she took in several deep breaths, her voice came out cracked, "But now that you're not here… who am I supposed to try it out on, huh?" tears started flowing freely down her face, "Who am I supposed to go to when I've got a problem? Who am I supposed to turn to now that you're not here? I love you, too!" she was practically shouting at the Stone by now, "I love you so, so much… Why did you have to leave?" she ended in a hoarse whisper, "Otou-san! Okaa-san!" she shouted towards the heavens.

Her knees couldn't hold her weight all of a sudden and she was clutching at the blades of grass so hard that her knuckles turned white. After her little outburst, Anko felt oddly calm; almost like she was too drained to feel anything at all sort of calm.

She slowly stood up, her wobbly legs almost giving out from under her. She tenderly rubbed her puffy eyes before letting out a shaky sigh. She would go see the Hokage, she decided. That way she could get this all over with. She could try to live her life normally. She would make her parents proud. With a nod and a wave good-bye, Anko was on her way.

-oOo-

The Sandaime Hokage was having a hard time staring down the piles of paperwork over-piling on his desk. He couldn't fathom just why the village deemed it righteous to make his hard tougher by supplying him with these little demons in disguise. With the demand for upgrades at the Academy on an all time high inside the gates and the war going on outside the gates, the Sarutobi had his hands full. He felt guilty for leaving the only surviving Mitarashi on her own so soon after her parents untimely deaths, but he had a duty to fulfill. He wondered when she would come see him. As if on cue, someone knocked on his door.

"Come in," he cheerily called. Really, anyone who came to save him from paperwork was welcome any time. Looking uncharacteristically nervous, Mitarashi Anko entered the room.

"Ah, why hello," he greeted good-naturedly, "I was expecting you," he reached for the envelope he kept stashed away for her in the drawer, "How have you been doing?"

"Fine, thanks," he smiled at the unusually quiet girl as he motioned for her to approach.

"Here's the money from the mission, Anko-chan," the Genin nodded in thanks, "Do you want to tell me something, Anko-chan?"

"Just… thank you, I guess… for everything," she replied.

"You are most welcome, Anko-chan. If you ever have anything to say, I'll be glad to listen to you," he offered again. The violet-haired girl only nodded in thanks before she excused herself. The Third sighed, a frown creasing his features. He was worried about the little girl. However, if she didn't want him to help then he wouldn't force it. His frown grew larger as he returned to the stare-down contest with the bane of every Hokage's existence.

-oOo-

Anko was many things… but a coward she was not.

Unconsciously, Anko had been avoiding the little dango shop she used to go to with her parents… for three weeks. Comically, she had not realized that fact until just recently. Nevertheless, being the not-coward that she was, she decided to visit the small shop. On her way from home, Anko found her mind wandering, remembering.

" _You're so slow, Otou-san!"_

" _I'm not slow, you're just too fast!"_

She would have to come to this place sooner or later, she told herself as she pushed the door open.

"Welcome! Ah! Mitarashi-san! It's been a while since you last came!" the owner greeted, his tone dropping as he approached, "I'm so sorry about your parents, Anko-san," the girl shook her head, "Would you like to have the same as always? Or maybe something different?"

"I'll take the same," the owner nodded, regaining his cheerful demeanor before heading off. Anko was glad to find that their table was vacant. It wouldn't be the same if she sat at any other table, after all. Before she took a seat, however, she decided to inspect the painting her parents loved so much. She narrowed her eyes once she was close enough. The flower field wasn't any different, the blue sky the same as ever and the faraway windmill only that much clearer. However, the side of the painting caught the girl's attention.

 _M. M._

The initials of the painter's name. She idly wondered who that might be, but decided it didn't matter. The painting was just as boring as ever, even up close.

"Anko-san," the owner's voice startled her and she quickly felt her cheeks heat up. Some ninja she was, "Oh, it's your parents' painting,"

"Huh?"

"They never told you?" Anko shook her head, "Well, this painting was created by Mitarashi Minuki, your grandfather. It was a particularly hard time, financially-speaking, when Temaki-san decided to sell it. And that's how it ended up here," he said with a smile, "However…" he took the painting off of its rusty nail and handed it over, "Considering everything, Anko-san, I believe you should take it," he forced the painting into the Genin's hands.

"But… I couldn't possibly… I mean… thank you," she grinned, her first true smile in a while.

"Anything for my best customer," the owner said, "Your order's on your table, by the way. It'll be free of charge. Enjoy!" With that, he walked away. Anko sat down at her table, setting the painting aside while eying the dango sticks apprehensively.

She took a bite and another. Her eyes widened in surprise. It tasted… different, somehow. It actually tasted… good.

She continued eating stick after stick, ordering second then third servings.

Her parents were right.

Dango wasn't such a bad sweet, after all.

 **Author's Notes: Thank you for reading this and I really hope you liked it! I'd really love to hear what you thought :D Just wanted to mention that I don't know what Anko's parents' names are so I made them up (as if that wasn't obvious :P). Hope you enjoyed reading this!**


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